The present invention relates to optical or other energy directing systems and more particularly to an intelligent energy emitting head.
FIG. 1 is a simplified functional block diagram of a conventional two dimensional energy emitting system 100 which could, for example, be used for reading, writing, marking, drilling, welding or various other purposes. As shown, the system 100 includes a user interface and command signal generator 110 for entering user commands and generating command signals corresponding to the user commands. A command control generator 120 generates emitter control and trajectory control signals in accordance with the command signals.
An energy emitter 130 emits energy, for example in the form of a beam, in accordance with the emitter control signals, e.g. emitter off and emitter on signals over time. The emitter may be in the form of a gas laser, e.g. a CO2 laser, a solid state laser, e.g. a Yag or laser diode, a fiber optic laser, or any other type energy emitter, including an x-ray, acoustic, e.g. ultrasound, or microwave emitter.
An X-scanner 140 directs the emitted energy in an X direction and a Y-scanner 150 directs the emitted energy in a Y direction, in accordance with the trajectory control signals, e.g. positions for the emitted energy, such as at X-grid positions and Y-grid positions, over time, on a plane 160.
It will be recognized that the trajectory control signals may correspond to any parameter(s) necessary for the directed energy to accomplish the desired task. For example, if the user commands entered using the user interface 110 designate or correspond to a desired character font type for product marking, the command control generator 120 generates the control signals by translating the font type commands into emitter and trajectory control signals corresponding thereto.
The processing performed by the command control generator 120 may be complex. More particularly, to move the mirrors in the scanners, which will be described further below, in a manner that ensures that the emitted energy is directed to very precise location settings, forms straight rather than curved lines, and/or has other desirable features, the command control generator 120 must perform concise coordinate transformations which anticipate and remove errors and anomalies from the motion of the emitted energy and guide the emitted energy so as to properly perform the desired task, such as writing an A, B, or C in a way that is acceptable for the job. These coordinate transformations are sometimes referred to as grid calibrations or corrections. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, algorithms are commonly utilized by the command control generator 120 in performing such coordinate transformations.
By properly controlling the trajectory of the X and Y-scanners, in synchronization with the emitting of energy from the emitter 130, the emitted energy can be directed at a desired location, e.g. a point or area, anywhere on an x-y coordinate plane 160 or along a desired path anywhere within the x-y coordinate plane 160. It will be recognized that the emitted energy might actually pass through the x-y coordinate plane 160 and impinge upon something on the other side of the plane, for example to illuminate an item, if so desired.
As shown in FIG. 2, a conventional commercially packaged two-dimensional energy emitting system 200, includes a computer 210, typically a personal computer (PC), which functions as the user interface 110 of FIG. 1. The computer 210 includes a processor 220 programmed using off-the-shelf software and/or specialized software, or corresponding logic in another form, to initially process user commands entered on a standard keyboard, mouse or other user input device 230, and to optionally process other inputs as will be discussed further below. A controller 240, which functions as the command control generator 120 of FIG. 1, processes the output from the processor 220 to generate command control signals, i.e. the emitter and trajectory control signals.
As also shown in FIG. 2, the system 200 includes an energy emitting head 250 which includes a receiver 260 for receiving the command control signals. An energy emitter 270 may or may not be attached to the head 250. The head 250 and energy emitter 270 are often manufactured by different manufacturers and most typically the emitter 270 is not attached, but rather remains separated from the head 250. In any event the emitter 270 functions as the energy emitter 130 of FIG. 1.
The head 250 includes a servo 280a/galvo 285a/mirror 290a subsystem which functions as the X-scanner 140 of FIG. 1, and a servo 280b/galvo 285b/mirror 290b subsystem which functions as the Y-scanner 150 of FIG. 1. These subsystems operate in synchronization with the emitter 270 according to the received command control signals to direct the energy emitted from the emitter 270 to a desired location(s), as is well understood in the art.
For example, the synchronized operation of the energy emitter 270, servo 280a/galvo 285a/mirror 290a subsystem, and servo 280b/galvo 285b/mirror 290b subsystem, in accordance with the received command control signals might result in a label on a stationary box, or one moving on a conveyor, being read for inventory or other purposes, a label being written on a stationary box, or one moving on a conveyor, to identify a shipping destination or some other information, a weld being made on a stationary device, or one moving on a conveyor, to manufacture a product, a parameter of a stationary device, or one moving on a conveyor, being sensed for quality control or other purposes, or some other desired action.
In the system 200, the computer 210 and energy emitting head 250 are interconnected by a high bandwidth communications interface 295. The command control signals generated by the controller 240 are communicated to the receiver 260 via the interface 295. As is well understood in the art, the interface 295 between the computer 210 and head 250 must be noise protected. This is because, if the interface 295 is insufficiently protected, noise could seriously interfere with communications between the computer 210 and head 250 in practical industrial implementations, and result in the improper operation of the head. The interface 295, is commonly implemented using an XY100 interface, which was originally developed by the predecessor of the assignee of all rights in the present application for its GMAX(trademark) product line. Typically, the interface can be used to interconnect the computer with various different types of heads. Thus, although FIG. 2 depicts a particular head 250 being interconnected to computer 210 via interface 295, it will be recognized that any type of head designed to interconnect via interface 295 could be substituted for head 250 and commanded by the computer 210. However, because a high bandwidth interface is conventionally required, standard PCs that will be used to control energy emitting heads must be modified to accommodate the required interface.
To summarize, in conventional energy emitting systems all commanding is performed by the computer, i.e. outside of the head, and the head simply operates in accordance with the received command control signals. Thus, all intelligence resides in the computer. Accordingly, the computer receives user commands for a task to be performed, such as marking a product as it moves down an assembly line, via the user interface 230. The user commands are processed by the processor 220 to transform the task command into operational parameters. The output of the processor is then translated and formatted by the controller 240 to generate the command control signals that correspond to the operational parameters and can be understood by the head. The head receiver 260 receives the command control signals via the high bandwidth interface 295, and forwards these commands to the emitter 270 and servo/galvo/mirror subsystems 280-290 to direct the synchronized emitting of energy from the emitter and movement of the mirrors by the scan subsystems, causing energy to impinge on or pass through a plane at a desired location and thereby accomplish the desired task.
There are various problems with conventional systems of the type describe above. One problem is that, because a high bandwidth interface is required between the user-input device and the scan head, conventional PC""s must be modified for use with conventional scan heads. Another problem is that the need to input to and process data at a computer and then transmit command control signals from the computer to the head necessarily results in delays in the operation of the-scan head responsive to the receive input. Accordingly, in conventional systems there is an inherent latency between the inputting of commands and the performance of the desired writing operations by the scan head.
Further, because of this inherent latency, conventional scan system have been unable to obtain effective real time modification of the scan head operations. This, in turn, results in such systems being incapable of performing or efficiently performing certain desired functions. Additionally, because various factors may affect the operation of the energy emitter and servo/galvo/mirror subsystems, the inability to modify system operations in real time may result in poor system performance in certain practical implementations. Additionally, because of the limited functionality of conventional scan heads, conventional systems often have difficulty performing synchronized operations, such as those requiring multiple different actions to be performed in a desired order.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an energy directing head which overcomes the aforementioned problems.
Additional objects, advantages, novel features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure, including the following detailed description, as well as by practice of the invention. While the invention is described below with reference to preferred embodiment(s), it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those of ordinary skill in the art having access to the teachings herein will recognize additional implementations, modifications, and embodiments, as well as other fields of use, which are within the scope of the invention as disclosed and claimed herein and with respect to which the invention could be of significant utility.
In accordance with the present invention, a system for directing energy includes a housing, often referred to as the head housing, having a controller, scanner and non-interruptible interface disposed therein. The non-interruptible interface preferably has a relatively high bandwidth of at least 20 KHz and a relatively low latency of no more than 5 milliseconds. An input interface port, typically a relatively low bandwidth port, such as an RS232 serial port, receives an input at the housing. Typically, the input is communicated to the interface port via a relatively low bandwidth, high latency, interruptible interface. The input may, for example, be a user command, data output from a sensor, clock signal, or some other type of input. If the received input is from a sensor, that sensor could be disposed either within the housing or external to the housing.
The controller issues command control signals, which include trajectory control signals, corresponding to the received input. The command control signals may be generated at the controller. If so, such signals may be generated in real time, or at some earlier point in time and then retrieved from storage and issued as, for example, part of the initialization process for a then current job.
The non-interruptible interface interconnects the controller and the scanner, and communicates the issued trajectory control signals from the controller to the scanner. The scanner directs a continuous movement of the energy in two directions simultaneously, in accordance with the communicated trajectory control signals. If the system is operating in real time, the time lapse, i.e. latency, between receipt of the input and directing the energy in accordance with the communicated trajectory control signals is preferably held to less than one millisecond.
According to other aspects of the invention, the system may include an emitter which emits the energy directed by the scanner, and the command control signals issued by the controller could also include emitter control signals corresponding to the received input. An emitter interface, which could be of either low or high bandwidth, interconnects the controller and the emitter, and communicates the issued emitter control signals from the controller to the emitter. The emitter then emits the energy in accordance with the communicated emitter control signals.
Preferably, the emitter includes one or more light sources, e.g. a laser light generator or an optical fiber, and the scanner includes one or more deflector, e.g. mirror(s) or lens(es). If the light source is a laser light generator, it generates the emitted energy, e.g. a laser light beam, in accordance with the communicated emitter control signals. The deflector directs the energy emitted from the light source in accordance with the communicated trajectory control signals, for example by movement of a mirror or lens.
Advantageously, the scanner further includes one or more servos and one or more galvos. If so, the non-interruptible interface interconnects the controller to the servo(s). The servo(s) generate drive signals in accordance with the communicated trajectory control signals, and the galvo(s) move the deflector(s) in accordance with the generated drive signals.
According to still further aspects of the invention, the system may include a memory disposed within the housing. The memory could, for example, be optical, electrical or magnetic, and could take any desired form, including hard, floppy or compact disk, random access memory or some other form. Beneficially, the memory may be used to store a trajectory control algorithm, which are well known in the art. If so, the controller can retrieve the stored trajectory control algorithm from memory and apply the retrieved algorithm to generate the command control signals corresponding to the received input. As discussed above, the generated command control signals may be issued promptly after generation, i.e. in real time, or at some later time. Additionally or alternatively, the memory may be used to store the command control signals themselves. For example, command control signals could be pre-generated by the controller based on an input and then stored in the memory, or received by the controller as a batch input, i.e. a non-real time communication, and stored. In either case, the stored command control signals can be retrieved by the controller and the retrieved signals issued responsive to the receipt of another input. This other input may be received in a real time communication, and could, for example, represent a user command, sensed parameter, clock signal or other input. Such a user command might direct initiation of a job, while such a sensed parameter might be indicative of the need to initiate a job or to modify system operations.
According to still further aspects of the invention, a sensor disposed within the housing operates to detect a parameter, e.g. a label on or quality related parameter of a part being moved on a conveyor, and to generate a sensor signal corresponding to the detected parameter. Another interface, which could be of either low or high bandwidth, interconnects the sensor and the controller, and communicates the generated sensor signal from the sensor to the controller. The controller issues other command control signals, including other trajectory control signals, corresponding to the communicated sensor signal. These other issued signals are communicated via the non-interruptible interface from the controller to the scanner. The scanner then directs energy in accordance with the communicated other trajectory control signals. It will be recognized that such other signals may also include other emitter control signals corresponding to the communicated sensor signal. If so, the interface interconnecting the controller and the emitter communicates these other emitter control signals from the controller to the emitter. The emitter then emits the energy in accordance with the latter communicated emitter control signals.
In one particularly advantageous implementation of the invention, a multi-mode energy emitting system is provided. The multi-mode system includes a housing, e.g. a head housing having a controller and scanner disposed therein. The controller operates to issue first command control signals in a first mode operation based on a first type input, e.g. a user command, and second command control signals in a second mode of operation based on a second type input, e.g. a different user command, sensed parameter or clock signal. An emitter, which is typically housed in a separate housing which is removably attached to the aforementioned controller/scanner housing, emits energy having a first power, e.g. a write beam, responsive to the first command control signals and emits energy having a second power, different than the first power, e.g. a different power write beam or a read beam, responsive to the second command control signals. The scanner directs the emitted energy having the first power in accordance with the first command control signals, and the emitted energy having the second power in accordance with the second command control signals.
The multi-mode system scanner beneficially includes one or more servos, galvos and deflectors. The servo(s) generate first drive signals in accordance with the first command control signals, which are communicated to the servo(s) via a non-interruptible interface, and second drive signals in accordance with the second command control signals, which are also communicated to the servo(s) via the non-interruptible interface. The galvo(s) position the deflector(s) in a first position in accordance with the generated first drive signals, and position the deflector(s) in a second position in accordance with the generated second drive signals.
According to other aspects of the invention, the multi-mode system housing is a portable housing, and the emitter is disposed within the portable housing. In this regard, the portable housing may be formed by removably attaching a head housing, having the controller and scanner disposed therein, to an emitter housing, having the emitter disposed therein. It should also be understood that a portable housing is one which can be carried by a single human being from location to location, with the system components, including the controller, scanner and emitter, housed therein. Preferably, a carrier, such as a shoulder strap, is attached to the portable housing and usable by an individual to carry the housing to a desired location.